Alright, let’s get this out there first; I am not the all-encompassing multimedia whore that Darren is. I couldn’t give a toss about sporting events, my TV watching is minimal and my music views vary greatly to his. However, there is a surprising amount of stuff outside of movies that shaped my 2016, so here I am talking about three categories I don’t often get to cover on this site. Let’s arbitrarily list them off, shall we?
TV
I watched TV a lot differently this year compared to other years of my life, which basically means for the first year ever, I didn’t watch a single thing on broadcast (The only notable exception being the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Sorry, it’s Christmas tradition). Everything else I watched was either a binge session or entirely though catch-up. You’re also going to note a major pattern here: Most of my mentions are to Netflix shows. Simply put, broadcast TV has fallen way behind in my estimations, and honestly I just can’t be arsed following an entire disappointing series anymore, hence why I haven’t returned to shows like The Walking Dead for a few years. Also, I haven’t even touched Game Of Thrones, Westworld, The Crown, The Night Of, Mr Robot, The Man In The High Castle,The Night Manager, Planet Earth 2 or Preacher yet, so they don’t get a mention. And here we go:
The Worst Show of 2016 - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Who is this for? No seriously, who is this for? I can only presume that this is written exclusively for people who eat whatever shit that Tina Fey’s name is attached to, but this defies even that though, because unlike Fey, this show is painfully unfunny. The unnecessary absurdity reaches ‘lol so randumm rawr XD’ levels multiple times an episode, the cast are a gaggle of various unlikable and annoying people and the painfully happy-go-lucky new urban living theme is just unbearable. I’m not sure who made this such a huge hit, all I know is I want them dead.
Honourable Mentions
Black Mirror: It’s back, with a budget! This was never going to not be mentioned, I’m one of Charlie Brooker's biggest fans and the cutting commentary of the series is as strong as ever. The only thing keeping it out of the top three is the inescapable American sheen the bigger budget has granted over like half of the series. I do miss the British grime of the first two series, but I’m glad the dark satirical series is back.
Luke Cage: Easily the lesser of Marvel Studios offerings this year, but still leagues above most other superhero TV offerings. A bafflingly awful final villain and odd peaks and troughs throughout keeps the otherwise lovable Mike Colter out the medal table. Awesome soundtrack, though!
Bojack Horseman: It’s a shame to call this the shows weakest series, but compared to its two superior brothers, series three doesn’t make the same impact, save for the ‘Fish Out of Water’ episode and excellent series finale. However, it is still the hilarious yet poignant show it’s been shown to be over the past few years. Here’s the hope that a series 4 can out-do all we’ve seen so far.
Luke Cage: Easily the lesser of Marvel Studios offerings this year, but still leagues above most other superhero TV offerings. A bafflingly awful final villain and odd peaks and troughs throughout keeps the otherwise lovable Mike Colter out the medal table. Awesome soundtrack, though!
Bojack Horseman: It’s a shame to call this the shows weakest series, but compared to its two superior brothers, series three doesn’t make the same impact, save for the ‘Fish Out of Water’ episode and excellent series finale. However, it is still the hilarious yet poignant show it’s been shown to be over the past few years. Here’s the hope that a series 4 can out-do all we’ve seen so far.
The Best Shows of 2016
3 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
In a year where political events dominated headlines both this and the other side of the Atlantic, John Oliver stepped up to a plate since vacated by Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart to put it all on blast. And boy, did he deliver in force. The latest series blew open and ridiculed all the best and worst upheavals of the year, with a wonderful coverage of the Brexit outcome being my particular highlight. Oliver’s scathing and methodical breakdown of the weeks issues served as a sort of satirical comfort blanket, which reminded us that no matter how far we fall down, at least we can laugh at ourselves. How he reports on the Trump administration is one of the few things I’m looking forward to in American politics in 2017.
2 - Stranger Things
The Goonies vs Predator in Silent Hill; if that description doesn’t make you want to watch this series, reconsider everything. Beyond the things that please me and only me, Stranger Things features so many impressive elements that made it skyrocket into the best things I’ve seen this year. The child cast are all phenomenal in their own ways, the show features a ton of suspense and cliffhangs episode to episode in all the right ways, and there are a ton of extremely cool moment-to-moment payoffs (Most of which belonging to Milly Bobby Brown’s character Eleven). Combine that with the authentic 80’s aesthetic and wonderful synth soundtrack and you have a recipe for one of the best retro hits of the year. Season 2 can’t come quick enough.
1 - Daredevil Series 2
It’s the best superhero TV series ever. Step aside Flash series 1, move over Arrow series 2. This is what all TV superheroes should aspire to. Not only was there great action and choreography throughout, but design wise, this was a truly beautiful series to watch. The themes that ran through the first series of purpose vs. guilt carry over here in droves, introducing the twin devils on Matt Murdock’s shoulders; Elektra and The Punisher. To be honest, I would have felt that giving the top spot purely on The Punisher’s merits would have been enough reason. Jon Bernthal’s incredible performance as Frank Castle solidified for me what I knew to be an absolute masterclass in TV. The Defenders and Iron Fist have a lot riding on their shoulder this year for sure.
Video Games
This is more my wheelhouse! I played way more games that I watched TV this year, so this was a much more closely run competition this year, but the top and bottom choices were almost easy. There were a lot of middling games I spent a few hours on over the past 12 months, but the best of the best have had hours and hours pumped into them, whilst the worst… Well, let’s just say that my summer gaming drought was almost entirely intentional.
The Worst Game of 2016 - No Man's Sky
I wanted to love this game, I really did. And let me be clear, it’s not a bad game. Art-wise, it’s really quite beautiful and the engines behind the game are genuinely excellently run. The procedural nature of the game does fit the theme of exploration and honestly, I didn’t mind the isolation. But I digress, No Mans Sky earns its dishonourable mention by being one thing: Deceitful. It’s hard to deny now that this game was sold on misinformation, misleading and straight up lies. I don’t think I have ever felt more ripped off and ashamed by a purchase in recent years. It serves as a reason to fight against pre-order culture and a constant reminder that your own excited depiction of something will never truly match up with the reality of a product. There’s since been an update to this game adding new features, but honestly, I can’t bring myself to play it. The whole affair is a dark spot on both mine and the collective video gaming world’s histories. It didn’t have to be like this.
Honourable Mentions
Firewatch: Short and sweet walkabout adventure game Firewatch got me gripped into its deeply emotionally story for the short time that it was going. The setting itself was really quite wonderful and it really is something magical that studio Campo Santo achieved getting me invested into Henry and Delilah’s lives through just dialogue alone.
Pokemon Go: It is hard deny that this game took the world by storm. It’s also hard to deny that it’s a buggy, broken mess. However, I spent the absolute most time playing Pokemon Go this year than I did any other game. It changed my life in so many different ways and it would be amiss not to mention its importance. And I’m still playing as well. Just need that goddamn Hitmonchan and I’m on my way to Pokedex completion!
Doom: Big guns, big explosions, big monsters and fast and fluid gameplay make this the best single player shooter I played this year. Despite the lack of great multiplayer experiences, Doom knew what it wanted to be from the start: a throwback to the glory days of the 3D shooter. And in it’s brutal and bloody campaign, glory is exactly what it achieved.
Pokemon Go: It is hard deny that this game took the world by storm. It’s also hard to deny that it’s a buggy, broken mess. However, I spent the absolute most time playing Pokemon Go this year than I did any other game. It changed my life in so many different ways and it would be amiss not to mention its importance. And I’m still playing as well. Just need that goddamn Hitmonchan and I’m on my way to Pokedex completion!
Doom: Big guns, big explosions, big monsters and fast and fluid gameplay make this the best single player shooter I played this year. Despite the lack of great multiplayer experiences, Doom knew what it wanted to be from the start: a throwback to the glory days of the 3D shooter. And in it’s brutal and bloody campaign, glory is exactly what it achieved.
The Best Games of 2016
3 - The Jackbox Party Pack 3
Party games have come back in a big way thanks to the good people over at Jackbox Games. For me, no house party, get together or casual drinks sessions is complete without a Jackbox game. This collection gets onto the good list by merit of just being released this year, although it is by no means the best collection of games released by the studio. Highlights are Quiplash 2 and Guesspionage for sure, but even games that seem like they aren’t great for my crowds may go over better with different players. There really is something for everyone in these packs and they never fail at being fun.
2 - TitanFall 2
I fell out majorly with shooters some years back. Destiny was the major exception to the rule due to it’s RPG like nature, but core shooters I have avoided since Battlefield 4. TitanFall 2 is the game that got me back on the shooter horse in a big way. A great single player campaign bolsters one of the best and most varied FPS multiplayer experiences I’ve had in year. Mix in a sweet sci-fi aesthetic and the inclusion of a multitude of playable robots and TitanFall 2 makes for the best shooter I’ve had the pleasure of playing all year. It’s honestly such a shame that EA totted this stellar game out to die against its own competition.
1 - Pokemon Sun and Moon
Was there ever any doubt? I’ve put 100 hours into both versions collectively, I bought both versions within weeks of each other, and I even started a new podcast series with Darren specifically to talk about the release of this game. It’s my favourite Pokemon game behind Generation 2 (Both the originals and remakes, I can’t separate them for sentimental purposes) and that is not a small token of appreciation in my books. Those are my favourite games ever. Sun and Moon innovate and sidestep the old Pokemon formula in all the best possible ways, bringing changes and features we have been requesting for years and I really couldn’t be any happier with what’s on offer here. It’s just the best. I can’t recommend it higher, it’s 100% worth the entry price and it’s remained uncontested for the game of the year.
Music
For the sake of something different, I’m gonna focus on full albums as opposed to singular songs for my best and worst in music this year. Just to be clear, I’m not super into popular music, I don’t listen to music that’s going to overly challenge me or anything, I just like what I like. Also, merits won’t be given to a single song I like from an artist, it HAS to be the full album as a whole that earns the point. That being said, I didn’t listen to many full albums this year, but the majority of what I heard, I actually liked. But oy vey, the one I hated. Oh Jesus, we’ll get into it.
The Worst Album of 2016: Bloc Party - HYMNS
Bloc Party used to be amazing. Silent Alarm is a classic, Weekend in the City is my particular favourite of theirs, Four was passable, but the terribleness of their sound that started in Intimacy and carried into front-man Kele Okereke’s solo album is back in full force. The Love Within is the single biggest piece of garbage that has graced my ears in the past 12 months, and I get a kick out of watching ear rape YouTubePoop videos and ShittyFlute songs. I consider the release of this shit show as the marker for the death of my interest in Bloc Party. Although truth be told, I do blame Okereke for the loss of two major band members and the band’s signature sound over the years. I know the act hasn’t disbanded, but it’s so dead behind the eyes it could be considered a zombie at this point, with HYMNS sounding like the last pockets of air leaving the corpse through whatever orifice they can find. Fuck this album.
Honourable Mentions
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You’ve Come To Expect: To hear this act was coming back filled me with joy. Arctic Monkeys last album AM is one of my favourites of all time and anything that Alex Turner touches seems to turn to gold. All of the singles from this effort are fantastic, Aviation being the pick of the crop. The album tracks fair slightly worse, even with great compositions like Dracula Teeth. However, in the wash of unimpressive, repetitive music, this was a welcome shift of pace and tone.
Watsky - X Infinity: I’ve described Watsky as rap for people who don’t like rap, and he continues his legacy with this release. Whilst not as strong as All You Can Do, this album sees Watsky’s style evolve further by having more time to perform alone. If I had to criticise, the album seemingly confines the personal growth to the somewhat operatic construct Lovely Thing, which I would have preferred to see stretched into the rest of the album. However, the strengths of the tracks more than make up for that, with particular favourites of mine being Talking To Myself, Little Slice and Don’t Be Nice. Overall darker than All You Can Do, this effort stretches into the unknown and ends with a sudden darkness. Really quite gripping.
Ninja Sex Party - Under The Covers: In lieu of a ‘proper’ album released by the comedy duo in 2016, this covers album is a welcome change of pace and instrumentation for Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht. The selection of songs is a wonderful throwback to meaningful pop music, performed impeccably by the pair and their backing band TWRP. Not nearly enough dick jokes for my taste, but a damn good flexing of the musical muscles from a duo I never realised I had so much artistic respect for.
Watsky - X Infinity: I’ve described Watsky as rap for people who don’t like rap, and he continues his legacy with this release. Whilst not as strong as All You Can Do, this album sees Watsky’s style evolve further by having more time to perform alone. If I had to criticise, the album seemingly confines the personal growth to the somewhat operatic construct Lovely Thing, which I would have preferred to see stretched into the rest of the album. However, the strengths of the tracks more than make up for that, with particular favourites of mine being Talking To Myself, Little Slice and Don’t Be Nice. Overall darker than All You Can Do, this effort stretches into the unknown and ends with a sudden darkness. Really quite gripping.
Ninja Sex Party - Under The Covers: In lieu of a ‘proper’ album released by the comedy duo in 2016, this covers album is a welcome change of pace and instrumentation for Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht. The selection of songs is a wonderful throwback to meaningful pop music, performed impeccably by the pair and their backing band TWRP. Not nearly enough dick jokes for my taste, but a damn good flexing of the musical muscles from a duo I never realised I had so much artistic respect for.
The Best Albums of 2016
3: Biffy Clyro - Ellipsis
For those who know me personally, you’ll know this is a major upset. Biffy Clyro is my all time favourite band, but this album is just not as great as previous efforts, which is a shame. However, what is here is ultimately what we needed from the band. It’s stripped back, focusing more on the band as a unit and not on pushing an over-produced sound with frontman Simon Neil as it’s messenger. The good stuff is some of the best, particularly In The Name Of The Wee Man. However, there are ultimately skippable tracks here and there and it doesn’t measure up-to the grandeur of the first 3 albums and 2013’s Only Revolutions. It’s a great basis for the next trinity of Biffy Albums, but in both of this Scottish rock legends trilogies so far, the first one hasn’t been the best.
2: Royal Republic - Weekend Man
Albums where I don’t skip songs are rare, and sadly there isn’t an album this year that managed that. But for a good long while, I could easily listen to this record on loop. The songs on this album are wonderfully infectious, Kung Fu Lovin’ alone burrowed its way into my mind and was on repeat through humming alone. Royal Republic are well aware what makes their sound work and three albums in, they’ve yet to deviate far from the path that works so very, very well for them. Sure it doesn’t plumb the depths of the human condition, but sometimes all you wanna do is lose it to a damn good beat or rhythm and have a good time. That’s what this album is from opening to closing; a damn good time, rocking on for the full nine yards.
1: Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
The track Victorious is the only bad thing about this album, then the rest is honestly magical and I have no idea how one person can make something so goddamn impressive. I was never a big fan of PATD, but I can honestly say I’m a huge fan of Brendan Urie now. This album, to be composed and created by a single man, is nothing short of genius. The running thread of the excess of Hollywood is a great basis for some stellar song-writing, with influences from unlikely places fuelling the best album I’ve heard in a good long while. It’s nothing short of a work of art and I’d ask you to drop whatever pretences you may have of Panic’s former emo days; they’re long gone and in its place is a truly masterful musical force orchestrated by Urie. LA Devotee is the standout track for me, but honestly, every track is equally good in its own right, even if I do hate Victorious for some reason. Easily the best record of the year, zero contest.
And there we have it. Nobody is arguing that 2016 was a dumpster fire of a year, but there was a lot of genuinely good things to distract us from the horrors of the world outside entertainment. This is the stuff that made the year not all that bad for me. The hope for 2017 is to surpass it in every way, but all things considered, there’s some strong competition.
And there we have it. Nobody is arguing that 2016 was a dumpster fire of a year, but there was a lot of genuinely good things to distract us from the horrors of the world outside entertainment. This is the stuff that made the year not all that bad for me. The hope for 2017 is to surpass it in every way, but all things considered, there’s some strong competition.
By Mike Owen
@ThatMikeOwen
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of our podcasts, and currently pens Pop Culture Club and The Death of Video Games
@ThatMikeOwen
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of our podcasts, and currently pens Pop Culture Club and The Death of Video Games